I am gradually shifting to Linux (Dapper) from XP and still a little confused. I can't seem to understand how to install something once I download it...at least some of the time! I can get applications in the Package Manager and that seems to go well, but if I install something from a download site it gets confusing. For instance...ClamAV antivirus program: after downloading, I have this file: clamav-0.90.1.tar.gz
If I open that file there are about 20 other files in that, but I can't ever figure out what is the "exe" file that will install it, as in XP. I've read about the commands for "apt-get" but not very comfortable or clear on my terminal command usage yet. Could someone help me with a baby step so I can get past this mental block? Thanks.

You probably downloaded no compiled (binary) program but the source code of it. See this thread on how to compile sources: http://www.linuxquestions.org/linux/...ms_from_Source

You might be interested in checkinstall, too. With it you can create packages for some various formats (tgz, deb, rpm) so that you can add your package with your distro's package manager (and in most cases remove it cleanly if you don't need it anymore).

You should avoid installing applications from source, source packages most often end with (tar.gz). Your distribution probably has clamav from repositories that are customized for your Drapper. They end with the extension (.deb). You can view all packages that are on the CD/DVD by opening a GUI software installer/updater/remover called Synaptic via the main menu/system. Look for the clamav package after highlighting "All" on the left after selecting "Status" at bottom left.
Then you will have to set up your apt sources.list which is basically a bunch of software repository web addresses that give you access to a much more broad selection of software. But till you have that set up, try and avoid installing "tar.gz" packages.
Linux is not affected by the virus things that are designed for Windows, but if you access your Windows partition/installation from Drapper, it is wise to install an anti-virus. I'll look for the right web link to help you set up your sources.list and report back. For now you can brush up on it by checking out the link below, you will need to learn this.

http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/apt-howto/

newbie to newbie ::

the one that you downloaded is the source package which means you need to compile the program(which is clamav in your case) ... normally(most of the time) you will see file by the name of "configure" after you unpack the the package with file extension of "tar.gz" ...

usually you all need to do is to just execute the commands './configure' , 'make' and 'make install' in a row but you need to read some documents like "FAQ" , "INSTALL" , "NEWS" , "README" and "UPGRADE" inside the directory where you have unpacked the package ...


or you can also try executing this command in your terminal 'apt-get install clamav' ...

or you can try going here first ::
http://packages.ubuntu.com/cgi-bin/s...gy&release=all



//just get a good printed book specifically about ubuntu published by orielly ... they will show you what linux is ...


.

Glad you posted alred

Just about forgot I was going to drop a couple good links to help this person install Ubuntu packages instead of source.

http://www.ubuntu-nl.org/source-o-matic/

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=185758

Once you have your sources.list setup nice, all you do is issue command: sudo apt-get update
And after the terminal prompt comes back ( after some time), you look in Synaptic and there will be thousands of custom Ubuntu packages that install clean, and uninstall clean. Not like Windows where there is a lot of stuff left behind to slow it down after many installs and uninstalls.

Thank you all very much, can't wait to follow up on your suggestions! I WILL report back...

I'm on vacation, be back soon.

I'm back but now have another problem before I get back to the "Simple Software Installation" issue!! For some reasons (too numerous to mention) I can't access the Linux drive. Here is what I did...XP Home on hd0, Linux 6.06 on hd1, grub installed on hd0 and I could pick my OS on startup. I wanted to clean up hd0, degrag it, then make a good backup before I committed full time to Linux. In the process, I used a registry cleaner I've used many times but did too good of a job! I ended up doing a clean install of XP Home on hd0 (I did have most of the important personal files on Linux already so no big loss). I was unable to access Help and Support, System Restore, and many other normal diagnostic/repair utilities so it was nice to clean out the mess from XP and start over. However, I can't figure out how to reinstall the grub on the first HD. The posts I've read and information I have in my Linux book are not helping my peanut brain. It seems like I use the Dapper CD and when it asks me where to install the grub, I should say on hd0, but I am hesitant about the process because I don't want to overwrite anything. If I just stop at that point, and eject the CD and restart, will the grub be on the first HD, or do I have to follow through further? I want to end up with Linux being the OS that starts when I turn on the computer (after waiting 10 seconds for me to make a choice). Until I tickled the registry, I had it set up this way and it would go to Linux, use the external modem to get on-line and away I'd go. I can't quite work out the instructions I've found on this site or others, a little help please!

But you have to overwrite something: grub needs to be on the MBR! So the windows bootloader that is on the MBR must be overwritten.
The reason you can't get back to linux is that XP took over the MBR when you reinstalled. Linux is still happily on its own partition though, you just need to reinstall grub to be able to use it.

So, follow the instructions you have to reinstall grub on the MBR. It won't hurt windows, but you may not be offered windows as a choice the first time you boot with grub. Do not panic if this happens, you'll just need to make an entry in your grub menu.lst that points to your windows partition (and there are plenty of posts on how to do this!).

Good luck.

OK, I knew the mbr was overwritten, and Linux still on hd1. I'll proceed as you said with confidence! Just for the heck of it, what would happen if I disconnected hd0 and booted to hd1 with the Dapper CD in? I'll let you know how your suggestion works in a bit. Thx

You'll have to switch the linux drive so it is now "Master". Then you could install grub on it (on the MBR), and be happy booting linux.

You could then put the windows as your slave drive, and there's an option in grub to fool windows into thinking that it is the master drive, when in fact, it is not.
I think it goes like this :

map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)

But you'll find the answer yourself if you google for something like
XP grub boot map (hd0)

Many people have had this problem before!

I decided to give XP the boot and installed Linux on the first hard drive and be done with it. Now I have Linux 6.06 on each hard drive and have to figure out how to mount the second drive so I can transfer files. I can find mounting a drive that has NTSF or FAT 32 on it, but still looking for EXT3. I'll get the hand of this yet now that I'm 100% Linux!!

Your second drive is probably /dev/hdb1.
You can find out details with the following commands :
sudo fdisk -l and mount
Once you know which partition your old linux is on, create a mountpoint for it:
sudo mkdir /mnt/oldlinux
Now mount the drive
mount -t ext3 /dev/hdxy /mnt/oldlinux
Where x is either a or b and y is the partition number.

Now you can see your files, and copy them over.
You may have to do this as root, and their ownerships & groups may also need to be changed if your newest installation has a different UserID for your username. See man chown

MikROSE

As far as mounting a NTFS or fat 32 valume in linux you can mount the drive but you will only be able to reade from it. So i'd suggest that you monut the drive with the sequence of commands that tredegar recommended except insteade of using the mountpoin old linux use the mount point /winfiles ofcourse remebering that the second hardrive on the primary ata controller is listed as /dev/hdb so the first partioti of your second eide hdd is /dev/hdb1.

Then once you have your second drive mounted I suggest that you back up you files off that partition and reformatit to etention 3 aka native linux.

OK, I'm getting somewhere! I did complete the commands and was successful until I got to the requirement of being "root" like you said. Your steps were clear and easy to understand, thank you. Now for trying to change change permissions, I've tried that before and wasn't as successful.

PS The second hard drive has only Linux loaded on it for the OS, but I might have saved some documents on it somewhere from XP. I assume that won't be a problem... Thanks to you both!!